Strunk & White Book

I don't care if you love Strunk & White or hate them - read this book. It delivers exactly what the subtitle promises: "A writer's guide to punchier, more engaging language and style."

Arthur Plotnik doesn't just tell you how to be spunky and punchy, he shows you on every last page. Not only do fun, familiar examples of juiced-up writing by contemporary authors litter each chapter, Plotnik himself has written the surrounding how-to text with exactly the sort of literary ka-pow he's advocating. In other words, the bugger's just plain fun to read.

Fans of The Elements of Style need not worry - despite the obvious spoof of the title, this book is not by any means a bash-a-thon of Strunk and White. Matter of fact, Spunk and Bite is an excellent counterpoint to that old standby. Sure, Plotnik challenges his readers to stretch, bend, and break those tried and true (and sometimes stale) rules laid down nearly 90 years ago, but he also shows the pitfalls of going overboard. Rules without merit don't tend to last the better part of a century, after all.